DES 03452- PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY Harvard University Graduate School of Design Course Syllabus – Spring 2014
Robert Silman Office hours by appointment: 111 Devonshire Street Mon. - Fri., 9:00 - 5:00 Boston, MA 02109 Tel. (617) 695-6700, ext. 116 E-mail: [email protected]
"Technology is a branch of moral philosophy, not of science." (Paul Goodman, Week No. 6)
(T) Text: Scharff, Robert C. and Dusek, Val. Philosophy of Technology – The Technological Condition. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA. 2003
(iSites) Reading to be found on iSites under DES 03452
(www) Internet on-line source material
Date Week Topic
1 Introduction. Our responsibilities as designers of the built environment. Defining technology.
Reading:
(iSites) Jonas, Hans. The Imperative of Responsibility. pp. 1-24, 38-43, 201- 204.
(iSites) Kline, Stephen J . “What is Technology?” pp. 210-212.
(iSites) Feibelman, James K. "Pure Science, Applied Science and Technology: An Attempt at Definitions." pp. 33-41. (In Mitcham and Mackey, Philosophy and Technology.)
Related typologies: Affordable Housing, Sustainable Design
2 Historical Perspective
Reading:
(T) Mitcham, Carl. “Three Ways of Being-With Technology.” pp. 490-506.
(T) Bacon, Francis. “On the Idols, the Scientific Study of Nature, and the Reformation of Education.” pp. 25-37.
(T) Comte, Auguste. “The Nature and Importance of the Positive Philosophy. pp. 45-59.
(T) **Optional Reading**: Aristotle. “On ‘Techné’ and ‘Epistémé’.” pp. 19-24.
Related typologies: Historic Preservation
3 Classical vs. Heidegger’s View of Technology
Reading:
Aristotle. Physics II. Lines 194b16-195b30, 198a14-198b9. (Chaps. 3 and 7).
(T) Heidegger, Martin. "The Question Concerning Technology." pp. 252- 264.
(iSites) Dreyfus, Hubert. “Heidegger on Gaining a Free Relation to Technology.” pp. 25-33 (In David M. Kaplan, Readings in the Philosophy of Technology.)
(T) **Optional Reading** Ihde, Don. “Heidegger’s Philosophy of Technology.” Part I, pp. 277-284.
(T) **Optional Reading**: Ihde, Don. “Heidegger’s Philosophy of Technology.”, Parts II and III, pp. 284-292.
Related typologies: Urban Planning, Infrastructure
4 Society, Politics and Technology - I
Reading:
(T) Foucault, Michel. Panopticism. pp.589-602.
(T) Ellul, Jacques. “On the Aims of a Philosophy of Technology.” pp. 182- 186
(T) Ellul, Jacques. “ ‘The Autonomy’ of the Technological Phenomenon.” pp. 386-397.
(T) Feenberg, Andrew. "Democratic Rationalization: Technology, Power and Freedom." pp. 652-665.
Related typologies: Recreation and Parks.
5 Contemporary Social Philosophy -- Utilitarianism
Reading:
(www) Aristotle. The Nichomachean Ethics. Books I and II. (** Optional Reading **: Book X.) http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html
(www) Bentham, Jeremy. An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Chapter 1. http://www.econlib.org/library/Bentham/bnthPML1.html#Chapter I, Of the Principle of Utility
(www) Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Chapters I, II and V. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11224/11224-h/11224-h.htm
Related typologies: Urban Planning
6 Society, Politics and Technology - II
Reading:
(iSites) Winner, Langdon. “Do Artifacts Have Politics?” pp. 251-263. (In David M. Kaplan, Readings in the Philosophy of Technology.)
(T) Pinch, Trevor J. and Bijker, Wiebe E. “The Social Construction of Facts and Artifacts.” pp. 221-232.
(T) Winner, Langon. “On Opening the Black Box and Finding It Empty.” pp. 233-243.
(iSites) Goodman, Paul . "Can Technology Be Humane? "NY Review of Books. Nov. 20, 1969, Vol. XIII, No. 9
7 Justice as Fairness
Reading:
(iSites) Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. pp. 3-46, 456-464.
Related typologies: Affordable Housing. Architectural Education.
8 Sustainable Design – The Philosophical Basis
Reading:
(iSites) Schumacher, E.F. Small is Beautiful. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and Epilogue.
(www) Næss, Arne. “Deep Ecology.” Næss and Sessions. Basic Principles of Deep Ecology. http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/arne-naess-and- george-sessions-basic-principles-of-deep-ecology#toc1
(www) Bookchin, Murray. “Social Ecology versus Deep Ecology: A Challenge for the Ecology Movement.” http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/ANARCHIST_ARCHIVES/bookchin/socec ovdeepeco.html
(iSites) **Optional Reading**. Sale, Kirkpatrick. Human Scale. Part One, Chapters1, 2 ,3 ,4; Part Two, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Part Three, Chapters 1, 2; Part Six, Conclusion.
(iSites) **Optional Reading**. Berry, Thomas. The Dream of the Earth. Chapters 6, 12, and 15.
Related typologies: The Contemporary Skyscraper
9 Society, Politics and Technology - III
Reading:
(iSites) Marcuse, Herbert. One Dimensional Man. pp. ix-xvii, 144-169.
(T) Habermas, Jürgen. “Technical Progress and the Social Life-World.” pp. 530-535.
(T) Arendt, Hannah. “The ‘Vita Activa’ and the Modern Age.” pp. 352-368
**Optional reading**: Tijmes, Pieter. "The Archimedean Point and Eccentricity: Hannah Arendt's Philosophy of Science and Technology." pp. 236-251. (in Feenberg & Hannay, Technology & the Politics of Knowledge.)
Related typologies: Single Family Houses
10 The American Contribution - Pragmatism
Reading:
(iSites) James, William. Pragmatism. Lecture II :"What Pragmatism Means." pp. 41-62. Lecture VI: "Pragmatism's Conception of Truth" pp. 131-153.
(iSites) Rowe, Colin. The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa. "Chicago Frame."
(iSites) Peters, Tom F. "An American Culture of Construction." (from Perspecta 25.) (iSites) Adams, Henry. The Education of Henry Adams. “The Virgin and the Dynamo.”
(iSites) **Optional Reading**: Peirce, Charles. The Philosophy of Charles Peirce. “How to Make Our Ideas Clear,” pp. 23-41.
Related typologies: Stick-built Houses; Origins of the Skyscraper.
11 Technology and Ethics – III
Reading:
(www) Kimbrell, Andrew. Cold Evil: Technology and Modern Ethics. 20th Annual E. F. Schumacher Lecture, pp. 1-56. http://neweconomicsinstitute.org/publications/lectures/kimbrell/andrew/c old-evil
(iSites) Ferré, Frederick. “Ethics, Assessment, and Technology.” pp. 75-87, Sections 6.1 and 6.2. (In Ferré, Frederick. Philosophy of Technology.)
(iSites) Lewis, C.S. The Abolition of Man. pp. 67-91, (Chap. 3).
Related typologies: Real Estate, Banking and Finance.
12 Architectural and Urban Design and Technology
Reading:
(iSites) Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction."
(iSites) Pitt, Joseph C. “Design Criteria in Architecture.” pp. 317-327 (In Vermaas, P., Kroes, P. Light, A., and Moore, S. Philosophy and Design.)
(iSites) Hanks, J. Craig. ‘Cities, Aesthetics, and Human Community : Some Thoughts on the Limits of Design.’ (In Vermaas, P., Kroes, P. Light, A., and Moore, S. Philosophy and Design.)
Related typologies : Design and Drawing Aids.